Adoptee #: 10789
Name: Swiffer
Sex: Female
Birthday: 2025-09-22
Status: Crossed the Rainbow Bridge
Location: FurryTales Foster
Date departed: 2025-11-23
Written by her wonderful foster, Mia Brabyn-Jones:
“This past weekend, sweet baby Swiffer joined her big sister Arabella across the rainbow bridge.On Saturday evening, her breathing seemed a bit fast, so I stayed up with her to make sure that she was ok—but by Sunday morning, a trip to Alta Vista was warranted. They revealed that poor Swiffer had a few displaced/broken ribs, as well as mild pneumothorax & pulmonary contusions 😞.
She spent the day in the special oxygen tank and was later able to come home with pain medication to keep her comfortable while she rested and healed. Upon returning home, Swiffer seemed like her usual active, outgoing, and loving self; coming out immediately and climbing into my lap for purrs, pets, and treats 🩷. Later that evening, her irregular breathing returned worse than before, and she had an accident all over herself, so we went back to Alta Vista immediately. Although she was admitted to critical care overnight, her prognosis seemed good; she was stable, and the veterinary team advised that flare-ups could occur, which was a relief given the circumstances.
By morning, we learned that little Swiffer had quickly deteriorated overnight, with a bad fever, back in the oxygen tank, and not doing well. Given the extent of testing and the amount of pain and discomfort that this sweet little girl was in, humane euthanasia was determined to be the kindest option 💔.
Thanks to Donna, April, Marta, Muriel, and the rest of the incredible foster team, and the wonderful staff at Alta Vista, I was allowed to go say goodbye to my baby in-person. The vet who had originally found and brought Swiffer, Lint, and Arabella to Furry Tales inquired about doing a CBC to see whether Swiffer was stable enough to be transported to her clinic for continued care, but this was understandably advised against by Alta Vista given her condition, and I had, and have, complete faith in Donna and AV’s judgement and expertise, especially during such hard times. The moment I saw Swiffer in the ICU, I knew that this was unequivocally the right decision.
She was extremely weak, pale, and could barely lift her own head. When I pet her, she tried so hard to stand up, but she just couldn’t, and was suffering from having the door to the oxygen tank ajar for only a minute. At approximately 1:15pm on Sunday, November 23rd, baby Swiffer took her last breath.
As incredibly heartbreaking as this was, and is, I am so deeply grateful that Swiffer was given her best chance to recover, and that her comfort, dignity, and best interests were prioritized until the very end, and that I got to hold her and be with her in her final moments. I am devastated about the loss of Swiffer, especially so soon after losing her sister Arabella. It is a small comfort to think that they are now happily reunited and no longer suffering.
I read a quote the other day that resonates “I will take a lifetime of missing you for the privilege of loving you for all of yours”
While Swiffer was with me for only ~3 weeks, she made such a profound impact. Her first couple of days, she was hissy, growly, and scared, but she quickly revealed her incredibly gentle, loving, playful, and comforting personality, and brought so much happiness to Lint and I. She was the perfect kitten who lit up the room simply by occupying it; she would always come and sleep directly under my chin, purred the moment I looked at her, and showed Lint how to be brave and courageous. She loved to exchange grooming with resident cat Beans, curl up in my lap during Zoom lectures and work calls, and was so full of life. Despite being a foster kitten, it felt like she was “home” and I love her just as I do my own cats.”
